


Daemons

by LectorEl



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: M/M, crossposting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 18:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7543885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LectorEl/pseuds/LectorEl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Demetria remembered the first time she’d met Zahirah, years before they’d ever known the identity of her other half.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daemons

Demetria remembered the first time she’d met Zahirah, years before they’d ever known the identity of her other half.

It had been a cold night, out among the sands, and she’d left Tim’s side to scout ahead. The canvas tents that had surrounded the oil rig had been a beacon. From cornsnake, wiggling through the gap in one’s walls, to spotted cat once she was inside. What to take?

“And who are you?”

Demetria startled, tumbling over her own tail and gazing up in awe. The other daemon was beautiful, golden eyed and sharp-beaked.

“Demetria, ma'am,” she answered, taking wings to perch beside the older daemon. “Who are you?”

The falcon churred in amusement. “Zahirah, sweetling.”

“You’re very pretty,” Demetria said, conscious of the dust clinging to her, of her ratty feathers and the bald patch on her breast.

“You’ll grow into yourself,” Zahirah said, ducking her head to groom Demetria’s wings. Demetria stiffened.

“what are you doing?” she squeaked. Zahirah looked up in astonishment.

“Grooming. Didn’t your parents ever do this for you?”

Demetria shook her head. “They didn’t like it when we touched them,” she said quietly.

“That won’t do.” Zahirah ruffled her wings and tucked Demetria under one. “Let’s get your feathers clean.”

“Okay,” Demetria nodded. She giggled. “That tickles.” Zahirah hummed contently as she worked, occasionally stopping to ask Demetria this or that question.

“I haven’t seen you before,” Zahirah said, prompting Demetria with a light butt of her head.

“My boy’s looking for something.” Worry snuck into Demetria’s voice, despite her efforts. “He got sick, and it looks like it’ll come back.”

Zahirah crooned reassuringly. “I’m sure he’ll find it if he’s even half as resourceful as yourself.”

“I hope so,” Demetria agreed. She shook herself, and shifted into a snake, dropping down to the floor.

“I need to go. My boy’s almost here.”  
  


**Three Years Later:**

“Well met, Demetria,” Zahirah said after she landed on the roof’s edge. She nodded to Tim and resumed her efforts to coerce Tim’s daemon into a grooming. Tim sighed, and fit the earpiece over his ear.

“Is there a reason Zahirah seems determined to adopt my daemon?” Tim asked. Ra’s chuckled.

“Zahirah does as suits her, Timothy,” Ra’s said. “She has had centuries to pursue her own company, and her mind is no clearer to me than any other.” ”

Tim frowned. “That’s…terribly sad, Ra’s. Even witches know their daemons.”

“Her choices are her own, just as my own are. I have no regrets.“

Tim hugged himself, and Demetria turned into a pole cat and wound her way around his arm. Despite what Ra’s said, there was something terribly lonely in his voice. Tim tried to picture decades and centuries estranged from Demetria, only seeing her on rare occasions, and shuddered.

"I hope that you don’t,” Tim said, watching Zahirah launch herself into the sky, small and singular against the broad, black sky. Demetria whimpered and tucked her nose into the notch of Tim’s throat. “What do you want, Ra’s?”

***

Zahirah flared her wings and buffeted the air, landing neatly on Tim’s gloved wrist. Tim stiffened at the close proximity. Demetria lept up onto a nearby ledge so she could look at ‘Hirah straight.

“'Hirah?” Demetria asked carefully. “Can I help you?”

'Hirah cawed. “Ra’s is planning an attack, sweetling. I come with advanced warning.”

Damian and Fatima both stared at Tim, Fatima confused and Damian appalled. Fatima hissed from Damian’s shoulder.

“What are you doing here, Grandmother?” Fatima demanded. 'Hirah ruffled her wings regally.

“Preventing Ra’s from ruining the one decent thing he’s managed since Melisande and Hiraf were murdered.” She turned one yellow eye onto Fatima’s burnished scales. “You’re doing well, Granddaughter. Kasim sends his love.”

“It’s good to see you, Zahirah,” Tim told the daemon. He resisted the urge to remove his glove and stroke her feathers barehanded. He did not want that sort of intimacy with Ra’s, whatever his feelings for 'Hirah. Tim raised a hesitant hand, and when 'Hirah nodded, slid his gloved fingers through her feathers.

“And lovely to see you two as well,” 'Hirah said, rubbing her head against Tim’s gloved palm.

Damian’s eyes fixed on Tim’s hand. “Drake, what the hell are you doing?”

“Hush, brat,” Demetria said. “It’s not like he’s touching her with bare skin.”

Fatima shrugged, as much as a large snake could. “She’s got a point, Dami.”

Damian continued to sputter, scandalized. Demetria turned into a tiny grey housecat and leaped up onto Tim’s shoulder.

“How advanced is your warning, 'Hirah?”

“Three hours, assuming the wind doesn’t change. Let’s get to work, sweetling.”

***

“Did you really expect me to stand aside while you acted?” 'Hirah asked, perched regally on Red Robin’s shoulder.

Ra’s turned, fixing all three of them- 'Hirah, Demetria, and Red Robin- with a coldly furious expression. “I had not thought you would have gone so far as to betray me, Ukhti.”

“You should think what that means, Akhi. Perhaps you will see where you erred.” 'Hirah said, voice as cold as Ra’s’ gaze. Red Robin shivered at the palpable chill between the two.

Ra’s raised a brow. “What that means, Zahirah? It means nothing. Just a quirk of fate, like the one that once tied you to me. Tell me, was it worth it?”

'Hirah ruffled her wings. “You’ve lost yourself if you must ask that. _Always,_ Ra’s. Life is always worth it.”


End file.
